HB 940 exempts large commercial and industrial electricity customers (defined as those with at least 25 megawatts monthly demand and over 80% load factor) from needing a certificate of public convenience and necessity when using surplus interconnection capacity at existing grid points. It requires the Public Service Commission to create a new interconnection process with standard and expedited timelines, mandating that these customers provide 25% of their load through energy storage, carbon-free assets, or demand response. Customers meeting 100% of this requirement through specified methods and paying prevailing wages receive priority for load studies, interconnection, and permitting. The bill also establishes a Demand Response Program allowing large customers to contract for specific load management time slots, with fees collected from the interconnection process split between universal service and low-income energy efficiency programs.
HB 897 (the "Lower Bills and Local Power Act of 2026") requires electric companies operating high-voltage transmission lines (>69,000 volts) in Maryland to join regional transmission organizations. It mandates new application details for certain utility projects, creates a Solar and Energy Storage Market Stabilization Program within the Maryland Energy Administration, and redirects funds from the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund to provide refunds or credits to residential electricity customers. The bill also requires studies on siting transmission lines and battery storage systems within existing rights-of-way and sets deadlines for the Public Service Commission to review project certificates. These provisions directly affect electric utilities, the Public Service Commission, and residential electricity customers through cost adjustments.
This bill allows Maryland General Assembly members to use campaign funds or receive state reimbursement for home security system expenses at their primary residence. Under the new provisions, members can request up to $1,000 per term of office for costs related to acquiring, installing, maintaining, or upgrading security systems, with limits of one reimbursement per election cycle. Members must submit proof of completed work to their campaign finance entity or the General Assembly, and the State Board retains the authority to audit these disbursements. The legislation also clarifies that these reimbursements are not considered campaign expenditures for election law purposes.
SB 800 establishes a 10-member Task Force to study approval voting and ranked-choice voting in Maryland. The Task Force, including election officials, local government representatives, and voting experts, will review other states' implementations, assess administrative impacts (like ballot design and costs), and evaluate effects on voter participation and election outcomes. It must submit findings and recommendations to the Governor and legislature by December 1, 2027, and the bill expires June 30, 2028. This bill does not change voting systems but directs the Task Force to analyze whether such changes would be feasible in Maryland.
SB 592 requires Maryland public high schools to add a standalone personal financial literacy course as a graduation requirement, effective for students graduating in 2030 or later. The bill mandates that students complete at least one semester of this course in grades 11 or 12, with county boards of education determining curriculum and materials while aligning with state standards. Successful completion earns students at least 0.5 credits toward their diploma, and counties may allow this credit to satisfy remaining requirements through existing courses like business or social studies. The State Board of Education must establish the graduation requirement, and the law takes effect July 1, 2026.
SB 593 requires all student athletes in Maryland public and nonpublic schools to undergo a heart health check (including family history and physical exam) as part of their pre-sports physical starting in the 2026-2027 school year. This applies to health care providers conducting these exams and mandates schools to report participation and referral rates to health departments. The bill also directs the State Department of Education and Maryland Department of Health to create guidelines for providers on conducting these checks and identifying early heart risks. Schools must report data on screenings and referrals annually, with the health department publishing annual outcome analyses on its website.
HB 959 establishes Gwynns Falls State Park as a partnership between Maryland's Department of Natural Resources and Baltimore City. The bill prohibits entrance fees, specifies the park's boundaries, and requires the Department to hire an independent consultant to create a master plan for the park. It mandates that $4 million in fiscal year 2028 be allocated specifically for renovating a joint partnership office and visitor center in the park. This bill directly affects Baltimore City residents and park visitors by creating a fee-free, locally managed park with defined operational requirements.
HB 916 establishes three new regional transportation funds for Baltimore, the Capital region, and Southern Maryland. It directs specific tax revenues - including 70% of sales tax surcharges and hotel surcharges collected in each region - to these funds, while the remaining 30% is distributed to local jurisdictions based on sales activity. The funds are designated as special, nonlapsing accounts, meaning they carry over year-to-year, and interest earned on these funds must be credited back to the same accounts. This bill creates the legal framework for regional transportation authorities to develop and implement transportation plans using these dedicated revenue streams.
This bill establishes a 5% acreage limit for solar energy projects in Maryland's certified "priority preservation areas" (agricultural lands). Counties can count solar projects on brownfields, school rooftops, or other underutilized land toward this 5% limit, allowing more development in these areas. It also restricts large solar projects (>5MW) from certain residential or growth zones and requires counties to report when the 5% cap is reached. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.
SB 749 defines "residential retail customer" as individuals using electricity or gas at a home, excluding businesses mislabeled as residential. It requires electricity suppliers to price non-green power at or below the utility's standard offer service rate, allows consolidated billing for electricity and gas, and mandates that suppliers marketing electricity as "green" must meet a 51% renewable energy standard (or 1% above the state's portfolio standard). The bill also adds requirements for the Public Service Commission to approve green power pricing and restricts automatic renewals for green power contracts. These changes directly affect residential electricity suppliers and their customers in Maryland.
This bill requires Maryland's State Board of Elections to select, certify, and purchase a telephone voting system for absentee voters who have attested to having a print disability. The system must meet strict security standards, including ballot secrecy, accurate vote recording, voter identity authentication, and the ability to create a paper audit trail. Eligible voters will be placed on a special list and receive accessible communications with instructions and credentials to access the system, while the state will also run a public education campaign about the new voting option.
SB 727 authorizes Maryland municipalities to use secure electronic voting systems for local elections, directly affecting cities and towns conducting municipal elections. The bill defines a "qualified electronic transmission system" as one with strict security features like end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication, paper ballot backups, and biometric ID verification to protect voter data and election integrity. It prohibits municipalities from using any voter information collected through these systems for purposes beyond election administration or tracking voter participation. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and applies to all municipal elections in Maryland.
